Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report

Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report

June 6, 2024

By David Olen Cross

The “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the first full week of June 2024 has for radio show listeners and webpage followers another updated report on three Honduran nationals who have been charged in a U.S. District Court in Oregon for allegedly trafficking illicit drugs that killed an adult female resident of the city of Portland.

Some background information, on Friday, June 9, 2023 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon (USAODO) issued a news release titled “Three Men Face Federal Charges After Portland Overdose Death” who the subjects of interest were Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo (U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon Court Case Number: 3:23-CR-00205), Jorge Rivera-Nunez (Case Number: 3:23-CR-00205) and Dennis Palma-Hurbina (Case Number: 3:23-CR-00205).

Here is an extended excerpt from USAODO’s June 9, 2023 news release on Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo, Jorge Rivera-Nunez and Dennis Palma-Hurbina:

“PORTLAND, Ore.—Three Honduran nationals are facing federal drug trafficking charges today after their supply of illicit fentanyl was linked to a fatal overdose in Portland.

Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo, 38, Jorge Rivera-Nunez, 27, and Dennis Palma-Hurbina, 23, have been charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, on the morning of June 7, 2023, a sheriff deputy from the Washington Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) responded to the scene of a fatal overdose on West Burnside Street in Portland where a deceased victim had been found by her adult son. The victim’s son told investigators that he and his mother had recently purchased around 100 fentanyl pills for $200 from a person later determined to be Velasquez-Estrejo. Later the same day, law enforcement arrested Velasquez-Estrejo in possession of approximately 1,000 multicolored fentanyl pills and two ounces of powdered fentanyl. They also located a motel room key on Velasquez-Estrejo’s person.

Further investigation revealed that Velasquez-Estrejo was staying at a motel on Northeast 82^nd Avenue in Portland with two associates identified as Rivera-Nunez and Palma-Hurbina. Investigators surveilled the motel property and arrested Rivera-Nunez and Palma-Hurbina as they were leaving their room. A search of the room returned more than six pounds of powdered fentanyl, 11,295 multicolored counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and half a pound of methamphetamine.

All three defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You. They were detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was jointly investigated by WIN, the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT), Portland Police Bureau, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).” – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

After being arrested in June of 2023, Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo, Jorge Rivera-Nunez and Dennis Palma-Hurbina were all initially incarcerated with U.S. Marshalls Service (USM) Holds placed on them at the Multnomah County Jail (MCJ) in Portland, Oregon.

An important fact to understand, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), through ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) take on important roles in managing immigration enforcement and the federal government’s law enforcement anti-drug trafficking mission.

Seeking detailed information on the historical immigration status of Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo, Jorge Rivera-Nunez and Dennis Palma-Hurbina on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” contacted via e-mail U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs for the Northwest Region which encompasses the states of, Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

On Wednesday, April 24, 2024 an ICE Public Affairs Officer (PAO) responded via e-mail with the following statement on Dennis Palma-Hurbina:

“ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

ON BACKGROUND:

Dennis Eduardo Palma-Hurbina, 23, is a citizen of Honduras unlawfully present in the U.S. Palma-Hurbina was previously convicted in 2021of assault in Salt Lake City, Utah, receiving a sentence of 304 days jail with 264 days suspended before officers assigned to ERO Seattle encountered him following his arrest on charges related to drug trafficking June 7, 2023. Palma-Hurbina is currently held in Oregon awaiting criminal trial.” – ICE Public Affairs Spokesperson.

On Friday, May 10, 2024 an ICE Public Affairs Official responded via e-mail with the following statement on Jorge Rivera-Nunez:

“ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

ON BACKGROUND:

Jorge Eduardo Rivera-Nunez, 28, is a citizen of Honduras unlawfully present in the U.S. previously removed to his home country Aug. 3, 2016. He later unlawfully re-entered the U.S. on an unknown date, at an unknown location without inspection by an immigration official. Officers assigned to ERO Seattle encountered Rivera-Nunez following his arrest on charges related to drug trafficking June 7, 2023.” – ICE Public Affairs Spokesperson.

On Wednesday, May 29, 2024 an ICE Public Affairs Official responded via e-mail with the following statement on Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo:

“ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

ON BACKGROUND:

Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo, 39, is a citizen of Honduras unlawfully present in the U.S. After being removed to his home country five times under the order of an immigration judge, Velasquez-Estrejo unlawfully re-entered the U.S. on an unknown date, at an unknown location without inspection by an immigration official. Officers assigned to ERO Seattle encountered Velasquez-Estrejo following his arrest on charges related to drug trafficking June 7, 2023, and he is currently held in Oregon awaiting criminal trial.

Dates and courts of criminal conviction:

• Feb. 17, 2010 – United States District Court District of Kansas, illegal reentry, one day prison and 12 months supervised release
• Oct. 18, 2011 – United States District Court District of Arizona, illegal reentry, 180 days prison
• Nov. 19, 2015 – United Sates District Court Southern District of Texas, illegal entry, 60 days prison

Dates of previous removals:

• May 19, 2009
• March 12, 2010
• May 19, 2011
• April 16, 2012
• Feb. 22, 2016

###.” – ICE Public Affairs Spokesperson.

If Honduran nationals Manuel Velasquez-Estrejo and Jorge Rivera-Nunez, Dennis Palma-Hurbina are convicted and sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon for their roles in the trafficking of illicit “fentanyl pills” that killed the woman in Portland, Oregon they will likely join more than 23-thousand criminal aliens incarcerated in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prison system.

Remembering victim(s), almost one  year after the June 7, 2023 fentanyl reported death of the woman in Portland, on May 14, 2024 the Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) published a “Fentanyl Overdose Mortality Report” that disclosed through 2023 provisional partial data that 36 residents of the county were dying per month from fentanyl overdoses — those numbers project 322 fentanyl deaths so far for year 2023 (Here is the direct link to the MCHD published pdf  report : https://multco-web7-psh-files-usw2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/fentanyl_overdose_mortality_report_2023.pdf).

A thank you goes out to the ICE Public Affairs team who contributed significant information to help make the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” possible.

Lars, the first full week of June 2024 and another “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 Pacific Northwest radio listeners and website followers.

David Olen Cross (docfnc) is a reporter on foreign national crime. He is a more than decade long contributor to the “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report.” His past crime reporting can be found at https://docfnc.wordpress.com/.